Article 2. Benefits And Contributions of California Public Utilities Code >> Division 10. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 5. >> Article 2.

The board may prescribe the terms and conditions upon which the officers and employees of the district or their beneficiaries shall be entitled to benefits and the amounts thereof.

The retirement allowance may be predicated in part upon service rendered the district or any predecessor public utility, whether publicly or privately owned, acquired by the district in proceedings in eminent domain or otherwise, by a member prior to the establishment of the retirement system, which service is known as "prior service."

The board may provide that the district shall contribute the entire cost of the retirement system or may require that an officer or employee of the district, upon becoming a member of the retirement system, shall contribute a portion of the cost. The amount of said officer or employee contribution shall be determined by the board.

All members of the retirement system shall contribute in the manner and amount fixed by the board and such contributions may be collected by deducting the amounts thereof from the salary, wages, or compensation due such members.

Liabilities accruing under the retirement system because of benefits other than such as are the equivalent of contributions by the members, with accumulated interest, shall be met by contributions by the district. Prior service or other liabilities of the district may be met by annual appropriations instead of by one appropriation for the total of the liabilities; but until the present value of regular contributions for current service, together with assets then available, equals the present value of all allowances and benefits granted or to be granted under the system, the appropriation for any one year when added to any unused balance of any previous appropriations for such purpose shall not be less than the amount disbursed during that year on account of prior service or other liabilities of the district.

If any member withdraws from the retirement system prior to retirement the total amount contributed by him with such interest as may be credited thereto shall be returned to him; provided, however, that the board may prescribe the terms and conditions upon which a member, whose district service is terminated except by death or retirement, may elect to leave his contributions and interest thereon in the retirement fund, and the terms and conditions upon which a retirement allowance may be made to him after such termination.

All money received by any person as an annuity, pension, retirement allowance, disability payment, or death benefit from the retirement system, and all contributions and interest thereon returned to any member of the retirement system, whether in the actual possession of such person or deposited, loaned, or invested by him, is unassignable, and is exempt from execution or any other process except to the extent permitted by Section 704.110 of the Code of Civil Procedure.